SAN FRANCISCO — A former Arizona resident convicted in federal court in San Francisco in 2005 of participating in an international reptile smuggling ring lost part of his appeal Tuesday. Beau Lee Lewis, 33, was convicted by a jury in the court of U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins in 2005 of one count of conspiracy and five counts of smuggling protected reptiles such as tortoises and pythons from Asia. The smuggling ring was run by wildlife dealer Keng Liang “Anson” Wong, 52, of Penang, Malaysia, who pleaded guilty in 2001 to 40 counts and was sentenced to six years in prison. Wong has now completed his sentence and returned to Malaysia. Lewis was sentenced by Jenkins to one year and 11 months in prison, but he has remained free while his appeals are pending. In today’s ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Lewis’ claim that prosecutors should not have been allowed to seek a second indictment after the appeals court overturned a 2001 conviction because of trial delays. The appeals court said the second indictment was justified because of the seriousness of the case, which was demonstrated by the fact that each of the counts on which Lewis was convicted carried a potential sentence of five years in prison. But Lewis’ lawyer, Richard Tamor of Oakland, said the appeal would now continue on other claims pending before the circuit court. “We’re going to pursue all avenues of his appeal,” Tamor said. The defense attorney said the remaining appeal arguments include a contention that Jenkins gave incorrect jury instructions on Lewis’ claim that he was entrapped by an undercover federal wildlife agent. Lewis now lives in California, Tamor said. According to earlier court rulings in the case, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set up a shell company in 1994 in hopes of capturing Wong, who was suspected of being a kingpin in the smuggling of endangered species from Asia to the United States. In 1995, Lewis, who was then 18 and ran a small reptile import and export business in Buckeye, Ariz., answered an advertisement from the shell company and began buying from the company reptiles that had been legally shipped by Wong. Later, however, Lewis allegedly inquired to an undercover agent about buying a species of lizards protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act and allegedly told the agent he was in contact with Wong. Lewis allegedly began eventually accepting illegal shipments of protected animals directly from Wong, according to the court documents. Wong, Lewis and two other men were indicted in 1998, and Wong was arrested during a sting operation in Mexico City three days later. After an extradition fight, Wong was extradited to the United States in 2000. In his first trial in 2001, Lewis was convicted of 17 felonies, including six counts of the illegal importation of shipments containing a total of 125 protected reptiles. The shipments were sent by FedEx, according to the indictment in the case. Prosecutors said many of the animals died in transit. In his second trial in 2005, Lewis was convicted of five of the same six smuggling counts.
Snake rescue turns a deathly trap
CHANDIGARH: Salim Khan ‘Saapwallah’ is on emergency call. At least two panic summons daily from the Greater Chandigarh region to rescue snakes that have snuggled into houses. Nikhil Sanger of the Wildlife Conservation Society has his routine coiled around the ultra-venomous Common kraits and Cobras flushed out by rains. These are high-risk passions to pursue and an unprecedented mortality rate underscored by the writhing deaths of three snake handlers in the last 10 months across India.
Sunil Ranade, a father of two little girls, was considered an ‘expert’, having handled 15,000 snakes. A Cobra bit him in his apartment in Mumbai while he was feeding it. Rajkishore Pani, labelled ‘Snake Man of Kendrapada’ (Orissa) after having rescued 4,000 reptiles, was bitten by a King Cobra. Pani had departed midway from his son’s marriage ceremony to rescue the serpent from a brick kiln. The latest mortality has been Sagar Panda, famous for his televised ‘Kiss the Cobra’ exhibitionism. Panda was killed while conducting an awareness show near the Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary in Orissa. Panda had not taken the Cobra bite seriously.
‘Overconfidence’ is the cardinal sin when it comes to handling a creature as unpredictable as a snake. Capt (retd.) Suresh Sharma of the Panchkula-based Snake Cell has visited 2,500 homes and rescued 1,500 snakes. He says the more he learns about snakes, the more apprehensive he gets. “I am acutely aware of the complications of snake-bite. I try not to get carried away. Australian Steve Irwin, who died of a stingray bite, was playing to the galleries. The TV crews were egging him on to do foolishly dangerous things. Ranade had handled 1,5000 snakes but that experience can lull you into ‘overconfidence’ or foster the attitude that ‘I have seen it all’,” Capt Sharma told TOI.
India’s legendary reptile expert, Rom Whitaker, told TOI, “Machoism is the biggest killer, especially at night when snakes surface and men are drunk. Youths try to show off with snakes and are bitten. There is no need to catch snakes from their necks. There are established techniques using snake hooks and a long tube attached to a bag to capture snakes. Such techniques keep handlers and snakes safe. The Irula tribals are India’s best snake hunters but nine of them have died in the last 35 years. Most snake handlers have been bitten by venomous snakes and have survived. So, with the passage of time, they tend to start ignoring bites,” said Whitaker.
Snake envenomation research scholar and rescue expert, Dr Ranjan Maheshwari, is associate professor at the Rajasthan Technical University, Kota. He cites the case of Vikram Singh Kachhawa of Jaipur who rescued snakes and extracted venom for sale to the Haffkine Institute. “Kachhawa was drunk when he tried to extract venom. The snake killed him. A young girl from Bhopal was killed while conducting a snake-handling show on TV,” Dr Maheshwari told TOI.
“When a snake is seen, people run away from it. Snake rescuers head for the snake. The chances of a bite, thus, increase manifold for snake handlers. We normally grip the snake near the mouth and just behind the neck. A slightly bad grip can cause a bite as the reflexes of the snake are faster than ours,” said Dr Maheshwari. Adds Capt Sharma, “There is a tendency to do snake handling alone. You need to have a back-up team of two assistants to take care of you if bitten. A handler bitten by a snake must be immobilised to ease blood circulation and poison spread.”
Anthem man almost dies from snake bite
ANTHEM, AZ – A Valley man almost lost his life this week after a rattlesnake sunk its fangs into his right thumb Sunday evening.
Bill Johnson of Anthem was taking out the trash after his daughter’s birthday party when he heard a “hissing sound.”
“I thought I might have either a gas line or water line that had come loose,” Johnson said.
It was 10 p.m. when he said he reached down into the darkness and was struck.
Johnson didn’t see his attacker, but said he knew from the power of the “bee-like sting” that it was a snake.
He rushed inside and said within five minutes, he passed out.
His wife called 911. The first hospital he went to did not have enough anti-venin to treat his severe condition, so he was airlifted to Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix.
Johnson is the 14th rattlesnake case this month alone to receive treatment there.
Toxicologist Michael Levine said most rattlesnake bites aren’t life threatening, but Johnson’s was.
He was put on life support for 24 hours.
“This gentleman was critically ill,” said Levine. “I think he very well would have died if he didn’t get therapy.”
Good Samaritan sees an average of 60-80 rattlesnake bites a year, with monsoon season being the busiest time for the deadly desert dwellers to attack, according to Levine.
Not only did Johnson spend his daughter’s “Sweet 16” hooked to IVs, he also celebrated his 18th wedding anniversary in a hospital gown.
“It was kind of odd because it was like I’d do anything to upstage those events,” said Johnson.
He was discharged from the hospital on Friday.
Leads grew after a couple brought the endangered reptile to a pet store
TULSA – Detectives are investigating how a baby tortoise disappeared from the Tulsa Zoo.
Danny, an endangered Pancake Tortoise, is now in quarantine after officers recovered it at a couple’s home Friday.
The reptile went missing two weeks ago. Zoo employees say they’re not sure how.
Leads developed after a couple brought the tortoise to the Pet Stop in Owasso.
“They just brought him in to see what he was,” said Ashlee Silva, a store manager. “They’ll bring in different reptiles they find and try to figure out what it is.”
Police have not arrested anyone. The case is still under investigation.
“I can’t even tell you how happy we are to have this animal back in our collection,” said Barry Downer, reptile curator.
Downer says employees are being reminded to be vigilant about securing restricted areas.
Danish woman finds python in compost heap
A Danish woman discovered a four-metre-long tiger python in her compost container in northern Jutland, she told broadcaster DR Friday.
The woman alerted police about her unwanted visitor Thursday, and a few hours later the snake was in safe custody.
A reptile expert who helped catch the snake said it weighed 40 kg and appeared to be in good condition. A snake of that size would likely have no problem feeding on cats or large rats, the expert, Peter Love Mark, told Danish media.
Police have asked the owner of the snake to contact them, otherwise it would likely find a new home in a zoo.
Tiger pythons hail from Southeast Asia. Some specimens have measured over eight metres.
Leave those alligators alone
Whenever I talk to elementary school students about alligators, I point out that these fearsome reptiles have a brain the size of a walnut.
Your average Florida gator, and I’m not talking about the football fan, isn’t half as smart as a second-grader.
Still, every summer, we hear about alligator attacks, most of which could have been avoided if the victim had exercised a little common sense.
Take, for example, an incident July 12 in the Central Florida town of Sanford.
According the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Dirk Alan Willms, 44, spotted an alligator crossing a road and decided to grab its tail. The gator, which measured about 4 feet in length, whipped around and bit Willms, whom law enforcement officials said appeared to be intoxicated.
After chomping down on Willms’ leg, the alligator scurried into some bushes. Willms, wounded but undeterred, pursued the reptile into the vegetation and was bitten again, this time on the hand.
Bloodied but not still beaten, Willms eventually subdued the beast and took it home. A passerby, however, took note of the shenanigans and reported the abduction to authorities, who arrived shortly thereafter and ticketed the gator-napper.
Willms of 501 Lemon St. was charged with possession of an alligator, a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The state lists alligators as a species of special concern. They can be legally taken only by those with proper licenses and permits.
This gator, meanwhile, was released unharmed into nearby Lake Jesup. Willms, who received minor punctures and cuts, was told to seek medical attention, but it is unclear if he followed the investigating officer’s advice.
Use your head
Florida has more than 1 million alligators and averages about seven alligator attacks a year.
Since 1948, when the state began keeping records, there have been 517 unpleasant alligator-human interactions. Some, like the previously mentioned case, are considered the human’s fault.
The majority of the attacks, however, are classified as “unprovoked.” But many of these incidents could have been avoided.
Alligators typically grab their prey in the water, or within a yard or two of the water’s edge. In two-thirds of the attacks on humans, the victim never sees the gator coming. In most cases, the gator strikes from beneath the water.
Alligators are opportunistic feeders and eat just about anything — fish, turtles, raccoons, your dog, if you let it get too close to the water. Most alligator attacks occur in residential areas — canals, lakes, golf course ponds — where the reptiles have grown accustomed to seeing humans.
The best advice for someone who wants to avoid being added to the list of the 22 people who have been killed by alligators in the modern era, is to stay out of freshwater at dawn, dusk and at night, when gators are most active.
Act like an ape man
But if you do find yourself tangling with one of these living dinosaurs, think like Tarzan. After watching Johnny Weissmuller battle countless crocodiles, which are much meaner than alligators, it is obvious that the best strategy when under attack is to fight like you were raised in the jungle by a band of primates.
Don’t worry, you won’t make the alligator any madder. Remember, it is a dumb reptile looking for an easy meal. If you struggle, it might just release its grip.
Go for the most vulnerable part on the alligator’s body: the snout. Kick, punch, scratch, yell and scream. If you can, gouge its eyes. Stay above the water, because if the beast gets you below the surface, you will end up part of the food chain.
Whatever you do, never grab an alligator by the tail, and for heaven’s sake, don’t take it home.
Snakes invade children’s museum
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (DRN) – A local museum faces a snake invasion, but it was all a plan to teach survival skills to kids.
Children got the chance to pet and hold snakes at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum this morning.
It is part of Survivor Camp at the museum. Kids learn basic survival skills and compete to earn survivor rewards.
A lot of the lessons involve animal safety and how to react when they see animals in the wild.
“They’ll be learning all about them. They’ll learn that this snake is named Maddy, and that she was rescued. And they’ll learn about what she eats. They’ll get a chance to hold her or touch her if they want,” Director of Education and Exhibits Rachel Nickel said.
The Children’s Museum said they have lots of educational opportunities for the community, and are excited about the new building opening in September.